3D Nail Designs

We figured we should kick this list off with an over the top take on 3D nails. How gorgeous are these?! The fun thing about these 3D nails is they start with a solid nail polish color, the rest of the design is implemented using embellishments that are glued to the nails – making it easy to DIY.

Have you always wanted to be a mermaid? Even if you don’t actually want to be a mermaid, there is so much design inspiration in nails that can come from mermaids. Like these shell shaped nails! Adjusting the texture of the nail itself is a new way to get a 3D effect. This type of effect is created using a sculpting powder.

These 3D nails are another example of how you can play with the texture of the nail to get the look of 3D nails. We love that they kept these nails monochromatic using just one color. It really gives the 3D portion of the nail a completed, modern feel.

Since the holidays are right around the corner we wanted to be sure to include a few Christmas inspired 3D nail designs. Just when you thought you’ve seen just about every Christmas nail art, you see something like this! Giving the ornament a 3D edge is so unique and fun.

Into edgy nail designs, but still want something that’s feminine? This is for you! Using rhinestones is a go-to way to make a simple design feel much more detailed with a 3D element. This butterfly shape is quite minimal but it’s the use of rhinestones and embellishments that makes it pop. Black gives these nails a fun edge.

Black faded into nude polish with an ombre effect is something you can expect to see a lot of throughout the next year (at least). To make this trendy design unique with a 3D finish, metallic rhinestones are a winning touch. Outlining an entire nail, as they did here, really highlights the shape and length of the nail.

Classic red nails get a flower aesthetic like never before when it’s given a 3D twist! Applying red, 3D flowers to the top of solid black nail is the perfect accent to red nails. The colors are easy to wear but look anything but classic because of the elevated design.

This 3D nail design is over the top in the best way possible. Using black and white is a great color scheme choice for the dramatic design combinations. The great news? Placing rhinestones on your nails is a simple way to add major glam to nails, and they go with any design! As you can see, even with detailed designs rhinestones really complete the look.

Burgundy polish is one of our personal favorite color choices this time of year. It’s got the depth and darkness that feels appropriate for the season, but with a warm color tone. Rhinestones give burgundy the perfect dose of shine.

This 3D nail design is the ultimate edgy look! Starting with matte black polish, add spike and chain embellishments to really bring forth edginess in your nails. The stiletto shape of these nails further encompasses an edgy vibe but you can achieve a similar look with another nail shape if stiletto shape isn’t for you.

Black and white nails are transformed when they’re given a 3D touch. Between rhinestones, flowers and bows these aren’t your average white and black nails. Bow embellishments are quite popular in the nail world, customize your bows by painting designer names onto them. Just like they did here!

Similar to rhinestones, you can expect to find 3D flowers used quite often to elevate nail designs. To give some contrast to the look, apply flower pieces to opposite colors. We love how they applied black flowers onto nude nails and vice versa. Gives neutral color scheme new life!

Clear nails are one of the biggest nail trends of the year. If you’re into this particular trend you will probably love this design idea. Keeping the nails clear, adding just a few dainty touches of metallic like polka dots, and topping the design with white bows is so pretty.

Give cobalt blue nails a glam, girly twist with these 3D additions. White flowers and rhinestones in various shapes are a perfect pair for a stand out 3D design. Because the embellishments are special on their own, keeping the nails simple with matte cobalt blue polish is ideal.

If you take your love of coffee and donuts seriously, you’re probably in love with these 3D nails. The great thing about using embellishments and details like this is you can achieve a very specific design on your nails by simply gluing them to your nails. Search online and beauty supply stores to find a wide range of embellishments available.

Give nude nail polish sophisticated glam updates with a nail design like this. Applying small embellishments like rhinestones and a flower completely change the aesthetic of matte nude nail polish. Bring the embellishments more cohesiveness with touches of glitter polish in the same color to a couple of the nails.

Bring matte black and nude nails a whole lot more style with a 3D touch. We love the way they kept the color scheme going here with a black bow glued to the thumb nail. It adds great contrast to the nude nail color all while bringing the entire look together.

For our ladies who love the classic appeal of a French manicure, but want something that has a little more style to it this 3D nail design was likely made with you in mind. French manicures get an update with an ombre-like effect instead of the classic straight line. The design is beautiful alone but it’s the 3D details that really bring this to life. We love how they even added rhinestones to the center of the flower for even more glam.

Do you love Gucci? A lot of us are fans of the iconic fashion brand and its beloved logo. Fortunately for us we can embrace our love for the designer right onto our nails! The logo designs are so fun and iconic on the nails as they’re show but we have to say we really love the 3D addition of GUCCI on the nail – it really takes the design to another level.

Christmas nails are getting new life with 3D designs this year. Use embellishments like rhinestones in holiday themed colors to create a Christmas tree design. Make Santa more lifelike with a design like they’ve shown us here. Mix them together or just try one of the two!

Save this 3D nail design for the summertime! Ice cream isn’t just for dessert anymore. We can’t get enough of this adorable ice cream nail art. Paint the ice cream cone onto the nails and bring the design to life with three dimensional balls for the actual ice cream. Don’t forget to implement fun colors like purple, pink and yellow to really get into the theme.

Even if you’re not playing with Legos anymore, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the nostalgia of them. Use small, rounded embellishments that are nail safe to place onto the nails. Once they’re secured properly all you have to do is paint over them to achieve this Lego design. Make sure you paint primary colors to hone in on the vibe.

In case you weren’t familiar, elephants are known to be a symbol of luck in many cultures. Whether you want to bring some luck to your life or you just love elephants this 3D design is stunning. Since the elephant is the highlight of the design, keep the rest subtle in the colors and details to highlight the beauty.

One of the things we love most about using rhinestones on nails is their ability to give incredible style and interest to even a very simple, neutral nail color. Here they started the 3D nail design with a matte nude color. The design really comes in with how they placed rhinestones on each nail. Use different sizes and create an interested shape with the stones for added glamour.

3D nail designs aren’t always about extreme embellishments and designs. These nails show us how to rock 3D nail art with a feminine spin. Pearls and delicate gold details are simply stunning. Not to mention it’s the perfect way to add dimension to a sophisticated nail design without being super over the top.

We must admit we’re pretty in love with this design using black and metallic shades of polish. Sure the nails are stunning on their own but using an accent nail to incorporate a few 3D effects gives these nails incredible dimension. If you’re into using rhinestones on your nails, make sure you try incorporating stones in various colors to play off of the nail art you have going on.

Rare as a unicorn! We can’t get over how beautiful these 3D nails are. If you’ve always had a thing for unicorns we’re pretty sure you’re obsessing over these nails. To achieve this horn detailed nail, it’s done using gel powders and shaping effects. Don’t be afraid to combine 3D elements like the horn shaped nail and major rhinestone moment on partnering nail.

French manicure gets yet another major style upgrade. This time with a neon enhancement. We love the neon tips painted onto nails but have to say that it’s the neon flowers that really take the cake here. Bring the colors you use in the other nails together, like they’ve done here, to really bring the look together with ease.

Neutrals aren’t so neutral when you add 3D touches to the mix. Here they’ve elevated shades of taupe with rhinestones and 3D flower details. The colors work so well together and the use of rhinestones play off of glitter polish beautifully.

These nails are giving us major mother of pearl vibes and we can’t get enough. This 3D swirl design is so unique, placing just one rhinestone into the shape as they’ve done is all that’s need for an added dimensional touch. Of course we love the softness of pink glitter polish used, but this design would look just as great with any other color polish.

Pale pink is one of those colors that’s a great selection when you want to feel a little more girly with your nails. This 3D nail design fully encompasses the girly-girl vibe. Between the lace-like design with white polish over clear nails, pale pink polish, rhinestones and perfect pink bow. Bring all your feminine design favorites into one look.

The marble design has been trending for a while now. We don’t see it going anywhere but we’ve definitely started to see individuals adding unique twists to the design. Here, we see the addition of a raised metallic detail where the cracks of the marbling happen for a fresh take. The bold rhinestone design can’t be missed here though – talk about glam!

Now you’ve seen a few different ways the actual nail can be shaped to create a 3D effect. Most of the previous examples were pretty bold, which is why we wanted to include this design concept. Applying a 3D design doesn’t always mean extreme! Add just a touch of dimension with a shell shaped nail, tiny rhinestones and a complimenting nail color.

If The Little Mermaid was one of your favorite movies growing up you may add this to your list of nail designs to try to recreate. The fun thing about choosing a theme like under the sea is all the ways you can add 3D effects. Pearls, starfishes, shells, the list goes on and on. You can really tap into your creative side.

French manicures not edgy enough for you? Well, they sure are now! Apply a skull with rhinestones onto one nail to completely change the classic French manicure design and turn it into the ultimate edgy look. The skull can be added onto ANY of your nails.